Con pair free to reside in comfort

A COUPLE who ripped off $25,000 from Border people who believed they were supporting a cancer charity won’t spend a day in jail.

Dylan Blake will live in home detention for at least eight months after deceitfully rattling tins with his wife, Pauline.

They had told unsuspecting people the cash would be used to fight cancer, but they were actually keeping the donations for themselves.

Mr Blake was sentenced to one year in home detention, with a non-parole period of eight months, before magistrate Michael Crompton in Albury on Tuesday.

His wife was given the same sentence in October.

The court had previously heard the scheme was hatched in November 2012 after Mr Blake's mother died of cancer. The couple were living in the late woman’s home soon after and were struggling to pay the bills, so Ms Blake turned to the fake fundraiser.

The fraud ran for three years. Initial estimates placed the con at $15,000, which was later raised to $25,000.